


You Wouldn't Dare

by rbam03



Category: Original Work
Genre: Child Abuse, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Drama, Emotional, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Manipulation, Multi, Original Character(s), Past Rape/Non-con, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut, TikTok, findme, one bed, toxic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-04
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-15 06:33:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28559133
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rbam03/pseuds/rbam03
Summary: He stared at her with fury mixed with lust in his eyes. He took a brave step forward."Give it back," he demanded. She merely smirked at him and also took a step back, closer to the edge. He clenched his jaw."Don't play with me." She brought her feet to the very edge of the bridge's stone railing, arms open wide with a sly grin on her face. The cold and harsh water churned beneath them, as if it was inviting her to dive in. He drew in a nervous breath but decided to call her out on her bluff."You wouldn't dare," he accused."Wanna bet?"
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. I.

Jack.

Jack Daniels hated his name. Since he was a child, it had been laughed at, joked about and misused. Of course a little British boy would be given such a generic name. When he turned eighteen, he had begged his father to let him change it, but all he received instead was a beating from the old drunk. His mother and sister's death had taken a toll on them both, but his father who was a recovering alcoholic, seemed to take it the hardest. He blamed himself for what happened to them. Jack blamed him too, but never dared to say it aloud. The bastard would simply beat the living shit out of him anyways. 

"Oi, JD," said his partner in his earpiece, "Did you hear what I just said?" asked his partner, Ross. Jack came back to his senses, surveying the room. 

"Yeah, moving now," he replied. For this job, they were stationed at the Spanish Princess's palace. His partners were all stationed around the ballroom, inconspicuous to the eyes of the guests. Jack moved closer to the bar, appearing as a regular guard for the palace. 

The room was decorated beautifully, as could be expected from the Spanish. Had he not been on a job, Jack might have enjoyed his time here. They had been in Spain for three days, formulating and solidifying the plan. The theme was gold and roses and almost all the guests had dressed to impress. Flashy, flowing dresses clothed the women as they sashayed across the dance floor whilst the man wore tuxedos and matching pocket squares. There was a ton of food lined up against the walls of the ballroom glorifying the wonder of the scene. Jack scanned the room once again, finally spotting their target. 

"I've got eyes," he said into his earpiece, subtly. 

"Got it," said a voice on the other end. Almost immediately, he saw two of his men appear at the sides of Marcus Iglesias, one of the most well known underground dealer. He dealt anything he could get his hands on. Unfortunately for him, he got his hands on some contraband that didn't belong to him and when he refused to own up and pay...

He saw his partners greet him and usher Marcus around a corner where there would be a private room waiting for him. He waited five minutes after he saw them all disappear before following them. When he reached the staircase that was hidden around the corner, he hurried down it until he reached a heavy wooden door. As he placed his ear against it, he heard the screams and cries of agony coming from within. Jack took a deep breath and opened the door with gusto. 

"Oh my god! You have to help me," gurgled Marcus, his throat thick with his own blood. He was sitting in a chair between the two men, his face bruised and bloodied. "Gracias a Santa María," he muttered. Jack cocked his head to the side. He understood why he looked like a savior of sorts. He was young, and had a dimpled smile that he couldn't get rid of. His green eyes sparkled with hope and his usually wild and unruly hair was combed back into style. Compared to his partners who were both in their mid 30s and had scars on their faces, Jack looked fairly innocent. Unfortunately for Mr. Iglesias, that was not the case. 

"What is this?" asked Jack with disapproval, ignoring Marcus's cries. 

"What you mean?" asked Dean on the left. 

"I said to rough him up a bit."

"He was bad mouthing you," Dean replied with a shrug. Jack turned back to Marcus who by now had realized that he was no saving grace. 

"Is that true?" he asked him, bending down to reach his level. Marcus remained silent as if pondering his next move. Jack stood and turned his back to him. Quick as a flash, he swung a punch at his jaw, hitting him to hard a tooth was knocked out. Marcus' eyes bulged out of his head in shock as he gasped and spat blood onto the floor. 

"I asked you a question," said Jack calmly. Marcus turned angry eyes back at Jack. 

"I don't have to answer to you," he spat. Jack rolled his eyes and un-holstered the gun from under his tuxedo coat. He cocked his at Marcus's head to began to smirk. 

"Where is it?" he asked. 

"I found something interesting about you from a colleague of mine, you know," said Marcus. 

"I don't have time for your games," said Jack with the gun still pointed at his head. "Where is it? Don't make me ask a third time because that will be the last."

"It was about a little girl, 'bout fourteen. Looked a lot like you from what he described," Marcus continued. Jack flinched at that, but continued to ignore him. 

"Where."

"Shame that she died."

"Is."

"He and his buddies said she felt real good wrapped around the-" At that, Jack flicked the fun to a random spot in the room and pounced onto Marcus swinging. 

"Daniels, stop!" called his partners. Jack was confused. Stop what? "He's practically dead!" Jack looked down at his bloodied hands and realized what they meant. He was on top of Marcus' body which had given up on defending itself. His eyes were rolled back into his head and he was bleeding out from everywhere. Jack hastily stood, breathing hard. 

"Get him out of here," he said in a low voice. His partners used a back door in the room and dragged Marcus' body out. Jack heard the sound of a muffled gunshot knowing they had finished the job. There was no point trying to extract information from him anymore, he was completely unresponsive. Jack paced around the room, cursing at himself for losing his cool. Nathan came back in with a handkerchief and tossed it at Jack. 

"The fuck was that?" he growled. Jack wiped his hands as best as he could, but the blood stains remained. He would have to wash of properly in the bathroom. He handed the towel back to Nathan and turned to walk out. 

"Hey!" he called. "I said-" Jack rushed toward him, grabbing him by the collar. He looked as if he might say something but thought against it. He released Nathan and walked out, hands behind his back. He ran into the men's bathroom and after making sure there was nobody in there, he walked in to wash his hands off. He had gotten all of it off his hands when the door opened. He he looked up, he saw a woman there in a red, flowy dress that reached passed her ankles. She stood with narrowed eyes. 

"Can I help you?" asked Jack with a scowl. The girl said nothing but continued eyeing him up and down. Jack fully turned toward her. "Do you want to fuck me or something? What are you staring at?" he said, annoyed.

"What's on your shirt?" she asked pointing. Jack looked down and noticed a spot of blood on his shirt by his collar that he hadn't seen before. He looked back up at her with a smirk. 

"Wine," he replied. She nodded slowly and began to back away, toward the door. She turned around to open it but not before Jack reached her first.


	2. II.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He slammed his hand against the barely open door and turned the lock with the other. He lowered his head closer to hers, so close that she could feel his breath on her neck. He used his hand that wasn't against the door to brush her hair off her shoulder and drew in a breath.

Angelina.

Angelina was going through the five stages of grief. When her friend suggested they go on a girls trip to Spain for summer break, she wasn't expecting that to mean she would be abandoned at every event while Sofia ran off with some boy or girl for the night. Right now, she was still at stage two: anger. 

"It's a ball," said Sofia. "Are you seriously turning down an opportunity to go to the Spanish palace? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and you have no idea how hard it was to get us in!" she exclaimed. 

"Let me guess. You hooked up with one of the palace guards or something," said Angelina with a deadpan voice. 

"You need to relax, querida," said Sofia ignoring her suggestion. We've been here almost a week and you haven't gotten laid. How long has it been, honestly? The trip is almost over," she whined. Angelina sighed. 

"Even if I agreed, which I'm not, I don't have anything to wear to a freaking ball."

"That's okay, I bought your outfit already," said Sofia beaming. She ran into the bathroom of their hotel room and came back with a beautiful red dress. It was floor length with a long slit down both sides. It was a strapless, satin dress, fitted at the waist before fanning out like an untamed ocean. With the dress were also gold heels with ribbon to wrap around her calves. 

"It's...beautiful," said Angelina with wide eyes. She touched the fabric and gave Sofia a look of shock. 

"This feels expensive, how much did you pay for this?" she questioned. Sofia blushed. 

"Oh, well a girl I met the other day gave it to me as a parting gift," she said bashfully. Angelina rolled her eyes and laughed. Even she couldn't turn down a dress like this. 

"Alright, fine. Let's go to the damn ball."

\--------

As soon as they arrived, Sofia was eyed by every person they walked by. Her dress was gold and almost matched her golden brown eyes. Her dark brown hair was in loose curls and fell to the bust of her dress. She was already naturally beautiful, but with the makeup she had done for the both of them, she looked like an actual Spanish princess. Once they stepped foot in the ballroom, Angelina blinked and Sofia had already been swept away. Angelina rolled her eyes and made her way to the bar. She needed to be a little tipsy to get through this event full of pretentious men and women. Only half an hour in and four guys had already tried to get her to go home with them even after she had said no. Someone had been not so subtly placed a pill in her drink, thinking she wasn't looking. Anytime she tried to join a conversation, the people were either dismissive and rude or changed to Spanish so she wouldn't understand. Contrary to their belief, she was fluent in Spanish, Italian, French and Japanese and could understand them perfectly as they insulted her for being an American. She eventually just gave up and found a corner to hide herself in. 

She sipped on her third champagne, beginning to feel its affects. Angelina gazed around the room. Sofia was right. She did need to get laid. She saw several men that seemed to be suitable, although most were not her taste. 

"Hola, bonita," said a voice. "Care to dance?" Angelina looked up and noticed a man standing over her, offering his hand. She stood and graciously took it. They made their way to the dance floor after she placed her drink onto a tray carried by one of the waiters. 

"You don't look like you're from around here," he said as the music began. 

"What makes you think that?" she said defensively. He looked stricken as if he expected her to fawn over his accent and his hair or something.

"I didn't mean to offend you. You just don't have typical Spanish features," he said. He placed his hand on her back as they began to dance. 

"Ah, so it was my big tits that drew you to ask me to dance then," she said with a dry smile. His smirk faltered. Angelina knew she was being a bit ruthless but she just needed someone to take for the night, not a soulmate. Besides, it wasn't all fun and games on this trip. Sofia didn't know, but Angelina had been hired to extract a certain item from this ball. Every move was calculated. Sofia may have thought that she got them in, but it was whoever was bossing Angelina around from behind the curtain. She figured, though, she could at least have some fun at work after spending most of the trip planning for the event. 

"I'm only kidding," she said with a fake smile. The man regained his cocky composure and moved his hand lower on her back. They danced a few songs before moving off the floor. 

"So, you here alone?" he asked her as she sat back at the bar. 

"Yep," she replied. He smirked at her and leaned in to plant a kiss on her cheek. She leaned in closer and noticed a small earpiece. Rolling her eyes, she realized that this wasn't some random man, but was actually part of the team she was looking for. So much for having some fun. Angelina placed her hands on his neck and kissed him. She moved her lips to his ear and licked the sensitive spot under his ear whilst trying to listen to whoever was talking in it. 

"...Bathroom. It's done," said a voice. She pulled back and smiled. 

"I'm just going to freshen up really quick," she said batting her lashes. As soon as she was out of view, she dashed to the men's bathroom. She opened the door slowly and saw the man she was looking for. She didn't know anything about him, except that he had something on him that would get her a lot of money to remove. She recognized his face from the photo that was sent to her phone. This was her last job before she would be free. She would be able to keep all her earnings and finally be comfortable. 

She took in the sight before her. He was extremely attractive, with brown curly hair. He was washing his hands so aggressively she thought he might be OCD. He noticed her presence and turned his head toward her. 

"Can I help you?" he asked rudely. She was about to respond with some bullshit about being in the wrong bathroom until she noticed the bloodstain on his collar. She looked back at the sink and realized that the brown water hadn't been from the soap. He was washing blood off his hands. He fully turned toward her. Angelina knew she should walk away but she was frozen in place. Whatever self defense training she had would probably do nothing for her with this man. He looked about her age; early twenties, maybe slightly older, but had a dangerous look in his eyes. 

"Do you want to fuck me or something? What are you staring at?" he growled. 

"What's on your shirt?" she asked pointing. What the hell is wrong with me she thought. She should have just apologized and walked away. She didn't miss the way his eyes dragged up her body, lingering on her chest longer than necessary. She flushed nervously. He then looked down at his shirt casually, as if it was just a food stain. 

"Wine," he replied. Angelina had seen enough blood in real life to know he was lying and he knew she knew. She smiled and nodded and backed away slowly. She turned and was about to open the door and escape before he came up behind her. He slammed his hand against the barely open door and turned the lock with the other. He lowered his head closer to hers, so close that she could feel his breath on her neck. He used his hand that wasn't against the door to brush her hair off her shoulder and drew in a breath. 

"Not much of a talker, eh?" he said in a low voice. She noticed his British accent and was sure this was the man she was after. She didn't want to know what sort of stuff he was involved in, but realized why this was her last mission. Her boss probably knew exactly what kind of man he was which meant whatever he had must be extremely valuable. She turned around to face him and noticed a chain around his neck. 

"I don't care what that means, but if you want to do it here I'm fine with that," she said in a breathy voice trying to be seductive. He seemed to respond well to that seeing as he cocked his head to the side and began to lean in. She grabbed his collar and pulled it toward her capturing his lips. Jesus. He kissed like a professional. Angelina melted into the kiss and wrapped her hands around the back of his neck. She unclasped the necklace, silently hoping that she got the right item. He didn't notice as he sighed into her mouth, bringing his hand to cup her face. With one hand still on his collar, she was in the perfect position. 

In less than five seconds she was free. She pulled back abruptly, leaving him extremely surprised and yanked the chain off his neck. Before he could respond, she kneed him in the groin hard and once he fell to his knees, she kneed him again in the throat to wind him. She turned to unlock the door and kicked him in the stomach once more to heighten her chances of escape. She ran out of the bathroom, breathing hard. She frantically searched around for Sofia. When she didn't find her, she continued to run out of the ballroom. She turned quickly to see the man staggering out of the bathroom. She wasn't surprised that he was up that quickly, but it gave her less time to escape.


	3. III.

Angelina.

She cursed under her breath as she skittered away as fast as could be possible in five-inch heels. He was catching up to her, and fast. She ran down the steps of the palace, necklace in one hand and a bunch of her dress in the other so she wouldn't trip. As she jumped off the last step, the heel on one of her shoes broke. She gasped with delight and stomped hard one the other one while continuing to run. Angelina broke into a sweat as she neared a bridge. The cold air was biting at her skin and the sweat glittering her forehead wasn't helping. She didn't want to risk slowing down by turning to see how close he was, but she did anyway. He was no longer stumbling his way after her, in fact he was probably just over five feet behind. With a cocky grin plastered on his face, he broke into a sprint. Angelina had two options. She could hope to make it across the bridge in time and hope that she timed herself right and the two side would lift or...

In a last minute decision, she veered right and hopped onto the stone railing. Just as she suspected, he had already caught up barely even breaking a sweat. He was breathing heavily as he slowed down in front of her. Three feet. Two. He stopped, thinking this was a good enough distance to chat. Angelina looked around frantically for any means of escape but couldn't find any.

"Who the fuck are you?" growled. Angelina gulped nervously but didn't reply. He took another step forward with clenched fists. She didn't know anything about this man, but his demeanor suggested that he was perfectly fine beating the crap out of her.

"Are you hard of hearing?" he asked. There was a genuine tone in his question. Angelina realized this was the second time he had to ask her something twice in the short encounters they had.

"No," she replied simply.

"Good. I asked you a question. Who are you and why did you steal from me?"

"Doesn't matter who I am. You look rich, don't you have plenty of these in your closet or something?" she said. He scoffed and stepped forward again.

"That one is...special. It also doesn't belong to you, princess," he said harshly.

"Princess? Didn't know we were on a first name basis," said Angelina, sarcastically. She was just buying time trying to figure out her next move. The last thing she would do was return it to him. She was so close to freedom. She couldn't leave here knowing her ticket out was in her hands and she had let it go.

"Now you're stalling. Why? There's nowhere for you to go," he said catching on. Sadly, he was right. Angelina only had one option, an option that only an idiot would go for.

He stared at her with fury mixed and lust in his eyes. He took a brave step forward.

"Give it back," he demanded, "Now." She merely smirked at him and also took a step back, closer to the edge. He clenched his jaw. "Don't play with me."

She brought her feet to the very edge of the bridge's stone railing, arms open wide with a sly grin on her face. The cold and harsh water churned beneath them, as if it was inviting her to dive in. He drew in a breath but decided to call her out on what he thought was her bluff.

"You wouldn't dare," he accused.

"Wanna bet?" Angelina stared him down before pushing off with her heels, falling backwards and straight down into the currents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this one is super short but it'll all make sense lol.


	4. IV.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The hell is she thinking," he muttered to himself. He shrugged off his tuxedo jacket into the ground and began to roll up his sleeves quickly. He rolled them up to his forearm, baring his tattoos and climbed onto the edge of the stone railing. Without hesitation his dove into the black water with perfect form. He splashed into the water, pain already spreading across his body. If a perfect dive like that had hurt him, the poor girl must be in the process of being swept away by the currents by now. He tried open his eyes to see something, anything but the water was pitch black. It was pointless. He rose to the surface, searching for a floating body. Instead when he came up for air, he caught a glimpse of red.

Jack.

"You wouldn't dare," he accused.

"Wanna bet?" she replied with a sly grin. She then fell backwards off of the bridge and into the raging water. He gasped in shock, not believing she would actually do it. He had half a mind to leave her there to drown, but he needed the bloody necklace back and it was definitely not water resistant.

"The hell is she thinking," he muttered to himself. He shrugged off his tuxedo jacket into the ground and began to roll up his sleeves quickly. He rolled them up to his forearm, baring his tattoos and climbed onto the edge of the stone railing. Without hesitation his dove into the black water with perfect form. He splashed into the water, pain already spreading across his body. If a perfect dive like that had hurt him, the poor girl must be in the process of being swept away by the currents by now. He tried open his eyes to see something, anything but the water was pitch black. It was pointless. He rose to the surface, searching for a floating body. Instead when he came up for air, he caught a glimpse of red. He squinted and realized it was the girl, climbing out of the water. She was at least a mile ahead, climbing safely onto the bank. She was squeezing water out from her dress before looking up and meeting his eyes. She smiled and blew a kiss before disappearing into the trees and darkness.

"Fuck!" Jack yelled, smacking the water with frustration. The girl must have had training because no normal female could swim against the currents that fast, especially in a dress. Jack swam to the ladder next to him leading back up to the bridge. When he had climbed to the top, many guests had began filtering out of the palace and saw this drenched man with tattoos on his forearms. Jack furrowed his brows and marched back to the palace like a child throwing a tantrum. Instead of going through the front, he snuck around the back where there was a large black car. He opened the door with so much force it nearly flew off.

"Jesus, what's the matter with you?" said his colleague. Jack glared at him and sat down, still wet.

"My fucking necklace," he muttered.

"Eh?"

"My necklace. It's gone. Most likely for good," he said. He had no information about the girl apart from her looks and accent which were both extremely basic. He knew she had some sort of training, but those parameters were too large.

"Fuckin' hell," said Nathan as they began to drive away. "What are you going to tell the boss?"

"I'm not. I'm going to get it back," Jack replied. He hadn't thought of it until just now but he was going to get that necklace back. Poor thing had no idea what she'd gotten herself into.

/ / / / / /

They arrived back at their hotel, unpacking all their things.

"We've got a tip that we're going to meet real early tomorrow," said Samson, one of Jack's colleagues. "Daniels, you're on watch. Can't have another slip up," he said sternly. Jack simply nodded. There was no reason to argue. He screwed up with their last tip and they were running out of time. After making a new plan, the men had the night free. Jack head down to the bar in hopes of having a relaxing night. He sat at the bar after downing three shots which didn't do much for him and scanned the room. Several women were already eyeing him like he was a free dessert sample. There was a brown haired girl who much have just come from the ball seeing that she was still in a golden dress. Her skin was caramel brown and she had the most attractive features to match. Her makeup was light but accentuated her face wonderfully. She was laughing with another woman across the sofa. Jack stood and made his way over.

"Hello, darling," he said laying on the charm. She turned toward him and smiled, a bubbly smile that made someone feel giddy.

"Hey," she replied. "I love your accent." Jack smiled. That was usually the first thing a woman mentioned when seeing him.

"Charmed. You look like you could use a pick me up, love," he said. She stood and gave a short wave at her friend. She took Jack's hand and led him to a darker hall. As soon as the reached there she pushed him against the wall and pressed her lips against his.

"Ah, ah," said Jack against her mouth.

"What?" she said breathlessly. He placed his hand on the side of her head and pulled her hair gently.

"I'm the one in control here, darling," he said centimeters away from her lips. She leaned forward with a smirk and kitty licked his lips before capturing them with hers again.

"Let's take this to my room, yeah?" she said. Jack noticed her American accent and wondered if she was affiliated with the thief who took his necklace which he fully intended on retrieving.

"Got any roommates?" he asked.

"She's not here yet so let's hurry," she said. They made their way to the elevator. It was possible that her roommate was the woman he had met which meant he could be closer than he thought. As soon as the doors shut, he gently grabbed her throat and pushed her against the back wall. He kissed her, sliding his tongue into her mouth.

"Don't have to be gentle," she groaned out. That turned him on a lot because most girls were too soft for him or thought they could take it rough and ended up being hugely disappointing.

"Yeah," Jack said in between kisses. He gripped her throat harder, moving his lips to her neck. She smelled sweet, like cinnamon and vanilla. He remembered the girl that he kissed in the bathroom at the ball who had that faint smell on her as well. He smiled, realizing he'd hit the jackpot. The girl moaned as he sucked a mark onto the sensitive part of her neck.

"Sofia," she said grabbing his collar to meet his lips again.

"Jack," he replied. He grabbed a fistful of her hair as she bit on his lower lip, eliciting a low groan from his throat. The doors opened as they reached her floor. The barged into the room, barely shutting the door behind them before latching themselves onto one another again. He moved his hands to the back of her dress to unzip it and they stepped over it as it fell to the floor. He lifted her onto him and she wrapped her legs around his torso as he brought her to the bed. He finally drank in her looks. Her body was toned and shaped like an hourglass figure. Personally, Jack preferred girls on the heavier side, but he wasn't complaining. He crawled on as well as she used her elbows to push herself further into the bed. He sat on his knees and removed his shirt as she panted on the bed below him. Without breaking eye contact, he bent his head down between her thighs and used both hands to spread her legs open. He wasted no time in removing her black, lace underwear and attaching his lips and tongue in their place.

Hours later, they lay on the bed out of breath.

"You should probably leave," she said almost immediately. Even though her body had obviously enjoyed itself, she seemed bored with him now. Jack didn't say anything. He rolled off the bed and put his clothes back on in silence, his ego slightly bruised.

"You did fine, by the way," she mentioned putting her bra back on. "It's nothing against you, I just prefer it with girls. They know how to get me wound up much faster," she said nonchalant. Jack smirked and went back to putting his shoes on. So she was bisexual, he thought.

"Well, it's been nice," he said on his way out. She nodded with a dry smile, like she was waiting for him to leave. On his way out, he noticed two plane tickets sitting on the dresser by the door. He thought nothing of it and opened the door and came face to face with a very wet and angry girl in a red dress.


	5. V.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Her eyes widened as they both stood there in shock for a second. Coming to her senses, Angelina pushed past him while shoving him out of the room and slamming the door.

Angelina. 

Her eyes widened as they both stood there in shock for a second. Coming to her senses, Angelina pushed past him while shoving him out of the room and slamming the door. 

"Wait!" he called out from the other side of the oak door. She stayed pressed against the door, praying he wouldn't break it down. After it had been quiet for a few minutes, Angelina took in the sight before her. Clothes still on the floor, the broken hand mirror on the ground from the side table and her friend half naked on the unmade bed. 

"Oh hey," Sofia said weakly. 

"Tell me," said Angelina slowly, "tell me you did not just sleep with that guy." Sofia dipped her head. 

"Hey, no slut shaming," she said, pouting. Angelina contorted her face and groaned. She began pacing the room, trying to form a plan for how she would get out of this mess. 

"Why are you so upset about this? And why are you soaking wet?" Angelina ignored her and walked to the front of the room, peering through the cracks to see if he was still there. She slowly opened the door and looked down hall, but no one was there. She let out the breath she was holding. 

"What the hell is going on with you?" said Sofia. 

"We have to leave," Angelina said. 

"Yeah our flight is tomorrow at 11."

"No. We need to leave sooner than that. Like much sooner. I'll look for a flight for six--"

"SIX? In the morning? Are you insane?" said Sofia, eyes practically bugged out. "Ange, what's going on?" Angelina sighed. 

"That guy...he's um an ex."

"An ex?"

"Yes, an abusive ex from when you didn't know me," she said clasping her hands. 

"Oh my god, I didn't know! I just s-"

"It's fine, we just need to get out of here and back to Dakota, okay?" Angelina began packing away their items immediately. 

...

Five hours later, they made it to the airport, just before their flight. Angelina didn't have any sleep the night before and was too paranoid to try to be early. They were set to board in ten minutes. 

"I have to run to the bathroom real quick," she said so Sofia who was half asleep and hungover. A great combo. Angelina ran down the hall, looking for a bathroom and only found an unoccupied one by a broken light in what had to be the dustiest corner of the airport. 

She emerged after relieving herself and came face to face with a wall. As she looked up, she realized it wasn't a wall, it was the man from last night. Her eyes widened but before she could make a run for it, he grabbed her waist and flipped her around with one hand while the other one pressed a gun to her back. 

"Hey princess," he said. Angelina gulped nervously. Her breath was raggedy and uneven. There was nowhere to run, no one to help her. "Let's chat, just you and me."

"Hey, my flight is leaving soon, mind if you-"

"Don't fuck with me," he said aggressively, gripping her side tighter. Angelina winced. 

"Okay, okay. What do you want?" she strained. 

"You know exactly what I want," he said pressing the gun harder against her back. 

"I don't have it!" she exclaimed. "I don't have it on me. It's in my bag which is about to board that plane." It was taking everything in her not to cry. She didn't want to die here, it would be the most miserable death. "Look, I don't know who you are, I promise. Just let me go, please. He paused for a moment.

"Let's go get it then," he said with a cocky smirk. He pushed her forward slightly and hid the gun beneath his jacket. "And before you think about running, I've got people all over the place. You so much as make one suspicious move and they'll end you." What the fuck had she gotten herself into. When they reached the gate, Sofia was waving frantically. The only bags with her were their carryons. Angelina had put the necklace in her carryon purse, not wanting to risk it getting out of her sight. Once they got back to Dakota, she could turn it in to whoever was asking for it and then they could deal with the scary man. Angelina turned around. 

"They've already put my luggage on board," she said. "And my friend there that you slept with last night thinks you're an abusive ex so you can't follow me. I doubt you have a ticket for this ride anyway. I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do." She gulped nervously, waiting for him to accept it and walk away. 

"You're going to fly with me, with your carryon bag," he said finally. "Where's your destination?" Angelina's jaw fell open. 

"What?"

"You know contrary to what you've said, I'm starting to believe you are actually hard of hearing." Angelina blinked several times. 

"But my friend-"

Getting impatient, Sofia ran over to where the two were standing. 

"You good, chica? Your hands are shaking," she said. She looked up and saw the man standing there. "Jack!" she gasped. Angelina stifled a chuckle. With a man with broad shoulders like that, he should have a more intimidating name than Jack. She was thinking of a Dimitri or Lord Boss. Sofia grabbed her arms and began dragging her away from him. 

"Not so fast," he said grabbing Angelina's shoulder. He gave her a pointed look as if asking if she was going to decide to bring her friend along or not. 

"Oh...it's okay, Sof. He's got a private jet and we'll meet you in Dakota," she said. Sofia stared before bursting into laughter. 

"Absolutely not. You're toxic," she said pointing at him in the face. Jack leaned down to Angelina's ear, lowering his voice enough so that Sofia couldn't hear him. 

"She gets in the way, she's dead," he whispered. Angelina inhaled sharply. She boldly turned around and Jack hid the gun under his jacket. 

"Let me talk to her, please. Just thirty seconds," she pleaded. He nodded once. She grabbed Sofia's hand and pulled her out of earshot. Angelina was terrified for her own life, not knowing what this man would do to her if he didn't get his freaking necklace back. Normally, she would have just given up and waited for her next assignment but she couldn't afford it this time. Her funds from her previous endeavors were almost completely spent by now and she needed this. Her family...she had to think of them. The amount she'd be getting for this job would have her set for life if she planned well. Her boss or bosses didn't care about any of the trouble she got in trying to get the items, she just had to get them. 

"I can explain," she said to Sofia.

"Please do," she said folding her arms across her chest. Angelina searched her brain for an excuse. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if something happened to Sofia. They hadn't been friends long, just since their first year at college, but they had developed such a strong bond. She was one of the only people Angelina trusted with her darkest secrets. The problem was that Sofia was extremely protective and curious which, at this moment, was the worst possible combination. 

"He's not an ex," she said, telling the truth. " I don't know anything about him, actually. I didn't even know his name until you said it. I...I stole something from him and he wants it back. When I saw him last night, he had blood on his shirt. I have to go with him. I'm not sure what I'll do yet but I'll figure it out." Sofia took a step back, a look of betrayal on her face. 

"You're on a job, aren't you," she accused. Angelina opened her mouth to say something but instead just cast her eyes to the ground. "You promised me, Ange. You told me you were done with this."

"I know! Look, I'm sorry I lied but I didn't mean to. I did intend to stop but when they offered me this job, I couldn't turn it down. I'll be set for life, Sof. I know it's dangerous and I know I told you worry about me, but I'm fine."

"Just give it back to him," she said with earnest. 

"I can't," said Angelina looking everywhere but her eyes. 

"Why not? Why put yourself in danger, worse than you've been in for other jobs for a damn piece of jewelry?"

"Because! Because...it's getting worse. This might be my last chance," Angelina cried. "They don't have another three, four months which is how long it takes to get another job." Sofia frowned and grabbed Angelina's hand. 

"I'm coming with you," she said. 

"No," said Angelina immediately. "No, I don't need your help."

"I've definitely already missed our flight anyway and I'm not asking." She took Angelina by the hand and marched back over to Jack who was standing by their bags. 

"Sorry for the misunderstanding. Ange here told me that she made up the abuse thing. You're trying to change and I commend you for that," she said with a respectful smile. She was amazing at lying on the spot. Jack simply nodded once and began walking. The girls looked at each other and followed him toward the jet.


End file.
